Difference between revisions of "Minolta and Auto Minolta"

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m (Original Minolta: picture fix)
(on the release date of the original Minolta)
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== Original Minolta ==
 
== Original Minolta ==
The original '''Minolta''' (ミノルタ) has no rangefinder. (This model is sometimes called "Minolta I" in some sources, but this name does not appear in the original documents and was certainly crafted by collectors for easier identification.)<REF> "Minolta I": see for example Francesch, p.75. </REF>
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|| ''Registration of the Minolta trademark (1933). Downloaded from the [http://www.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/homepg_e.ipdl IPDL], in accordance to the [http://www.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/notice_e.htm IPDL&nbsp;policies].''
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The original '''Minolta'''<REF> This model is sometimes called "Minolta I", for example in Francesch, p.75. This name does not appear in the original documents and was certainly crafted by collectors for easier identification. </REF> (ミノルタ) has no rangefinder. It was certainly the first camera to use the name "Minolta".<REF> Some sources say that the [[Semi Minolta]] was released earlier but they are mistaken. See [[Semi Minolta]]. </REF> The release date is given as 1933 in early historical accounts by the [[Minolta]] company or its predecessors, including a chronology published in 1958 and the fifty-year history book (1978) — the latter specifies June.<REF> Chronology: "Hensen kamera ichiran-pyō", p.295 of {{SK}} no.77 (September 1958), also reproduced in Tanimura, p.7 of {{CCN}} no.116. Fifty-year history: ''Minolta 50-nen no ayumi'', pp.5 and 65. In the latter, the release month was perhaps inferred from the date of publication of the "Minolta" trademark (see below). </REF> This release year is repeated in many later sources, but some say 1934 instead.<REF> 1933: Francesch, pp.21 and 75, Scheibel, p.17, {{MK}}, p.673, ''Eimukku 735 Minolta'', pp.131–2. 1934: Awano, p.15 of {{KKS}} no.12. </REF> The year 1933 is made plausible by the date of registration of the "Minolta" trademark, which was applied for on Jan. 18, 1933, published on June 1st and finally registered on Sep. 20.<REF> Trademark publication (商標広告) no.S08-004434 for the name "MINOLTA" (ミノルタ) available in the [http://www.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/homepg.ipdl IPDL] trademark database. </REF>
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|| [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/1622197318/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2107/1622197318_8c3ac48d1a_d.jpg]
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* Leaflet for the Auto Minolta, dating c.1935. ''Ōto-fōkasu Minoruta kamera'' (オートフォカスミノルタカメラ, Auto-focus Minolta camera). Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced in [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/sets/72157600606173543/ this Flickr album] by Rebollo_fr.
 
* Leaflet for the Auto Minolta, dating c.1935. ''Ōto-fōkasu Minoruta kamera'' (オートフォカスミノルタカメラ, Auto-focus Minolta camera). Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced in [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/sets/72157600606173543/ this Flickr album] by Rebollo_fr.
 
* Leaflet for the Minolta and Happy range, dating c.1935. ''Asanuma Shōkai hatsubai no kokusan kamera Minoruta Happī'' (浅沼商会発売の国産カメラミノルタ・ハッピー, Japan-made Minolta and Happy cameras distributed by Asanuma Shōkai). Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced in [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/sets/72157600606146167/ this Flickr album] by Rebollo_fr.
 
* Leaflet for the Minolta and Happy range, dating c.1935. ''Asanuma Shōkai hatsubai no kokusan kamera Minoruta Happī'' (浅沼商会発売の国産カメラミノルタ・ハッピー, Japan-made Minolta and Happy cameras distributed by Asanuma Shōkai). Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced in [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/sets/72157600606146167/ this Flickr album] by Rebollo_fr.
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* Trademark publication for the name "MINOLTA" (ミノルタ). The trademark was applied for (商標出現) on 18 January 1933 (no.S08-000723), published (商標広告) on 1 June 1933 (no.S08-004434) and registered (商標登録) on 20 September 1933 (no.0246579). Available in the [http://www.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/homepg.ipdl IPDL] trademark database.
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=== Older historical accounts ===
 +
* Minolta Camera. ''Minolta 50-nen no ayumi'' (Minolta・50年のあゆみ, Minolta 50-year history). November 1978. Pp.5 and 65.
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* {{SK}} no.77 (September 1958). "Hensen kamera ichiran-pyō" (変遷カメラ一らん表, Table of camera evolution.) P.295. (This is a chronology of Minolta cameras from the Nifcarette onwards. This document is also reproduced in Tanimura, p.7 of {{CCN}} no.116.)
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* Taniguchi Masao (谷口匡男), from the commercial department (営業部) of [[Minolta|Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō]]. "Minoruta kamera no sakujitsu, konnichi" (ミノルタ・カメラの昨日、今日, Minolta cameras, yesterday and today). In ''[[Shashin Kōgyō]]'' no.77 (September 1958). Pp.275–9. (The two first pages of this document, on pre-1937 cameras, are also reproduced in Tanimura, p.8 of {{CCN}} no.116.)
  
 
=== Collectors' sources ===
 
=== Collectors' sources ===
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* {{Zukan}} Items 1195–7.
 
* {{Zukan}} Items 1195–7.
 
* Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Supuringu kamera <Semi Minoruta>" (スプリングカメラ<セミミノルタ>, "'Semi Minolta' self-erecting camera"). {{KKS012}} Pp.19–24. (Contains a reproduction of an advertisement showing the Minolta and Auto Minolta, and no other information on the strut folders.)
 
* Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Supuringu kamera <Semi Minoruta>" (スプリングカメラ<セミミノルタ>, "'Semi Minolta' self-erecting camera"). {{KKS012}} Pp.19–24. (Contains a reproduction of an advertisement showing the Minolta and Auto Minolta, and no other information on the strut folders.)
* Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minoruta I-gata to II-gata." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型, "Semi Minolta I and II") In {{CCN}} no.116 (February 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. (Contains a reproduction of the articles in ''[[Shashin Kōgyō]]'' no.77, a discussion of the release dates and no other information on the strut folders.)
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* Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minoruta I-gata to II-gata." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型, "Semi Minolta I and II") In {{CCN}} no.116 (February 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. (Contains a reproduction of the articles in {{SK}} no.77, a discussion of the release dates and no other information on the strut folders.)
 
* Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minoruta I-gata to II-gata (sono 2)." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型(その2), "Semi Minolta I and II (part 2)") In {{CCN}} no.118 (April 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. (Contains a reproduction of two advertisements showing the Auto Minolta, and no other information on the strut folders.)
 
* Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minoruta I-gata to II-gata (sono 2)." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型(その2), "Semi Minolta I and II (part 2)") In {{CCN}} no.118 (April 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. (Contains a reproduction of two advertisements showing the Auto Minolta, and no other information on the strut folders.)
  

Revision as of 22:36, 3 June 2008

Japanese plate strut-folding cameras (edit)
No.0 (4×5cm) CH
atom (4.5×6cm) Idea Spring
meishi (5.5×8cm) Minimum Idea | Korok
daimeishi (6.5×9cm) Idea Spring | Minolta | Auto Minolta | Auto Press Minolta | Nifca-Dox | Vester Klapp
tefuda (8×10.5cm) Focal Happy | Idea Spring | Idea Telephoto
10×15cm Kongo Press
kabine (12×16.5cm) Idea Spring | Idea Telephoto
Japanese plate film: monocular, box, folding bed and SLR ->
3×4 and 4×4, 4×5 and 4×6.5, 4.5×6, 6×6 and 6×9 ->
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The Minolta (ミノルタ) and Auto Minolta are strut-folding cameras taking 6.5×9cm plates or film sheets, made by Molta and later Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō (predecessors of Minolta).

Description

The Minolta and Auto Minolta were much inspired by the Plaubel Makina, but have a reversed configuration, with the viewfinder on the photographer's left.

The rectangular front plate is mounted on scissor struts. The spring-loaded main struts, at the top and bottom, are attached to a shaft on the right. They are complemented by smaller struts on the left-hand side. The viewfinder consists of a glass element at the front, retractable in a small casing attached to the front plate, and an eyepiece hinged to the main body, at the rear. It does not provide parallax correction, unlike that of the Makina. The main body has a handle on the photographer's right, and two tripod threads, at the bottom and on the left.

The camera is focused by varying the angle of the main struts via a small knob at the right end of the front plate. The distance is indicated by an index rotating inside a circular scale, under the viewfinder casing. A button is visible between the lens and the focusing wheel, used to unlock the scissor struts to open or close the camera.

The name Minolta and the body serial number are engraved on the viewfinder's front casing, and the round MTS logo of the Molta company is embossed at the top of the front plate, above the opening button.

Original Minolta

The original Minolta[1] (ミノルタ) has no rangefinder. It was certainly the first camera to use the name "Minolta".[2] The release date is given as 1933 in early historical accounts by the Minolta company or its predecessors, including a chronology published in 1958 and the fifty-year history book (1978) — the latter specifies June.[3] This release year is repeated in many later sources, but some say 1934 instead.[4] The year 1933 is made plausible by the date of registration of the "Minolta" trademark, which was applied for on Jan. 18, 1933, published on June 1st and finally registered on Sep. 20.[5]

Auto Minolta

Notes

  1. This model is sometimes called "Minolta I", for example in Francesch, p.75. This name does not appear in the original documents and was certainly crafted by collectors for easier identification.
  2. Some sources say that the Semi Minolta was released earlier but they are mistaken. See Semi Minolta.
  3. Chronology: "Hensen kamera ichiran-pyō", p.295 of Shashin Kōgyō no.77 (September 1958), also reproduced in Tanimura, p.7 of Camera Collectors' News no.116. Fifty-year history: Minolta 50-nen no ayumi, pp.5 and 65. In the latter, the release month was perhaps inferred from the date of publication of the "Minolta" trademark (see below).
  4. 1933: Francesch, pp.21 and 75, Scheibel, p.17, McKeown, p.673, Eimukku 735 Minolta, pp.131–2. 1934: Awano, p.15 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.12.
  5. Trademark publication (商標広告) no.S08-004434 for the name "MINOLTA" (ミノルタ) available in the IPDL trademark database.

Bibliography

Original documents

  • Leaflet for the Auto Minolta, dating c.1935. Ōto-fōkasu Minoruta kamera (オートフォカスミノルタカメラ, Auto-focus Minolta camera). Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.
  • Leaflet for the Minolta and Happy range, dating c.1935. Asanuma Shōkai hatsubai no kokusan kamera Minoruta Happī (浅沼商会発売の国産カメラミノルタ・ハッピー, Japan-made Minolta and Happy cameras distributed by Asanuma Shōkai). Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.
  • Trademark publication for the name "MINOLTA" (ミノルタ). The trademark was applied for (商標出現) on 18 January 1933 (no.S08-000723), published (商標広告) on 1 June 1933 (no.S08-004434) and registered (商標登録) on 20 September 1933 (no.0246579). Available in the IPDL trademark database.

Older historical accounts

  • Minolta Camera. Minolta 50-nen no ayumi (Minolta・50年のあゆみ, Minolta 50-year history). November 1978. Pp.5 and 65.
  • Shashin Kōgyō no.77 (September 1958). "Hensen kamera ichiran-pyō" (変遷カメラ一らん表, Table of camera evolution.) P.295. (This is a chronology of Minolta cameras from the Nifcarette onwards. This document is also reproduced in Tanimura, p.7 of Camera Collectors' News no.116.)
  • Taniguchi Masao (谷口匡男), from the commercial department (営業部) of Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō. "Minoruta kamera no sakujitsu, konnichi" (ミノルタ・カメラの昨日、今日, Minolta cameras, yesterday and today). In Shashin Kōgyō no.77 (September 1958). Pp.275–9. (The two first pages of this document, on pre-1937 cameras, are also reproduced in Tanimura, p.8 of Camera Collectors' News no.116.)

Collectors' sources

Links

In English:

In Japanese:


Nifca, Molta and Chiyoda prewar and wartime cameras (edit)
folding plate cameras
Nifcaklapp | Nifcasport | Sirius | Arcadia | Lomax | Eaton | Happy
folding rollfilm cameras telescopic bakelite cameras
Nifcarette | Sirius Bebe | Semi Minolta | Auto Semi Minolta Minolta Vest | Baby Minolta | Minolta Six
strut-folding cameras TLR cameras
Nifca-Dox | Minolta | Auto Minolta | Auto Press Minolta Minoltaflex | Minoltaflex Automat | Minoltaflex military prototype